Never Just Friends

For Now

The next morning, Hanna woke to the warmth of the sun streaming through her window. Finn was still beside her, his presence a calming weight at her back. For the first time in days, she felt a little lighter, though the remnants of the nightmare still lingered in her mind.

She turned to find Finn still asleep, his chest rising and falling gently. His features were softened in sleep, and Hanna couldn’t help but smile at the peacefulness he carried with him.

Slowly, she slipped out of bed, not wanting to disturb him just yet. She walked to the kitchen, her mind still clouded by the vivid nightmares that had returned—shadows of the past she hadn’t fully left behind. But something was different this time. Something in her heart told her that the presence of Finn, the stability of their bond, was enough to chase away those shadows.

As she made a cup of tea, she thought about how far she had come—how much she had changed, not just because of the pain but because of the love and support she had found in her friends, in Finn, and in herself. Her journey hadn’t been easy, but it had brought her to a place of strength she hadn’t thought possible.

Finn appeared in the doorway, his eyes still heavy with sleep but filled with warmth. “Morning,” he said, his voice soft and groggy.

“Morning,” Hanna replied, offering him a smile as he walked over to her. “You didn’t have to wake up this early.”

Finn wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. “I wanted to. You were up in the middle of the night. Are you feeling better?”

Hanna leaned into him, the familiar comfort of his embrace soothing the anxiety that still lingered. “Yeah, I’m okay. Just… had a rough night. But it’s better now.”

Finn kissed the top of her head. “I’m here. I’ll always be here, Hanna.”

And in that moment, as she stood in his arms, the weight of the past felt a little less heavy. She still had her fears, still had her scars, but she also had something she never thought she would—a love that could heal, that could bring her peace, even in her darkest moments.

Together, they would face whatever came next, hand in hand, ready for whatever the future held.

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